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December 18, 2007
Virgin America - DC to SF and Back Again
While being wooed for a potential Big Idea acquisition, I was flown last week to San Francisco to meet with the executive team. And since the novelty of taking a flight on the newly available Virgin Atlantic airline was the least stressful thing about this week, I thought I would share my review.
First of all, Virgin Atlantic is owned by mega-billionaire and all-around crazy guy Richard Branson (who somehow I repeatedly confuse with Chuck Norris). He's known for bizarre antics like tossing Pam Anderson around like a sack of potatoes, albeit in a hot bimbo sort of way. So it's no surprise that he's gone out of his way to make his latest endeavor a bit edgy.
I'll begin by noting that the airplanes are brand spanking new--which is a nice change from my recent trips on Northwest and United, whose aircraft are on the far side of saggy and middle-aged. The passageway lighting is a violet black light, the flight attendants are spunky, and the bathrooms are the cleanest I've seen in years. They even offer Method hand soap.
I especially love their entertainment system, called Red. Not only does it allow you to watch live television* for free, pay for a wide variety of movies-on-demand, order food from the touch screen, listen to music videos, and watch the flight progress on Google maps--you can also play games like Mah Jongg!**
But possibly the best upgrade is the flight safety video. I appreciate the cartoon matador who doesn't know how to fasten a seat belt and the bull who scoffs at his ignorance. The bespectacled nun with the iPod, laptop computer, playstation, and wireless router is priceless, and the rest of the standard "if we crash into the water" part is mercifully brief.***
I will definitely take Virgin America again, and next time I'm going to try first class. The massage chairs convinced me.
* Granted, the live television thing has a few kinks to be worked out. On a six hour flight, I never once got to see a show all the way through. It kept freezing, or completely dropping the signal. But I have high hopes for the future.
** You can play games on the touch screen on the seatback in front of you. But do that only if you are willing to incur the wrath of the person sitting in front of you--or develop a lighter touch than me.
*** It is not brief enough, however, when a person--possibly me--is desperate to go to sleep as a result of the absolutely crazy holiday party attended the previous night. This party--which was like no other corporate party I have ever heard of, unless Studio 54 threw a Christmas mixer in 1977--included 500 of San Francisco's hippest designers, a copious amount of vodka, a famous photographer taking incredible shots of guests dressed up at harem girls and maharajas, and more than a few lines of blow. Everyone went home with someone. Everyone. And I'm pretty sure that a fair number of these people left the next morning without knowing their new friend's name.
Comments
Everyone including Ms. Write Again Soon? ;)
Posted by: nightmare4 at December 19, 2007 09:08 PM
Ansel Adams?
Posted by: jason at December 20, 2007 08:22 AM
